How can I keep my cat from digging in my houseplants?

Kathryn Smith
by Kathryn Smith

It's a semi gardening question😏. My cat digs out my plants and deposits them on the floor! Help!

  7 answers
  • Seth Seth on Oct 20, 2018

    Hi Kathryn,

    We have three cats that do the same thing and sometimes even go to the bathroom in them. Our solution was to put tin foil all around the stems out to the edge of the pot. Not pretty and a pain to water, but the cats hate the tin foil. We also tried cutting a slit in a paper plate with a hole cut out of the center. Then the plate goes around the stem. It was not as effective as the tin foil.

  • Oliva Oliva on Oct 20, 2018

    Place very thin slices of lemon peel in the plant. Cats dislike citrus smells. Others have spritzed the cat with vinegar each time the cat was digging in the plant.

    • Kathryn Smith Kathryn Smith on Oct 20, 2018

      Thanks Oliva I'll definitely try the lemon peel. Spritzing her will not work, she likes to dig when I'm sleeping

  • Nancy Fisher Nancy Fisher on Oct 20, 2018

    We had a cat with the same problem. I gave up on the house plants until we moved to a place where the cat was able to have a safe outdoor space and her own sandpile!

  • Oliva Oliva on Oct 20, 2018

    Hi, Kathryn,

    If all else fails, try wiping the plant containers with a mix of water and citrus or rosemary essential oils. Cats will also avoid Ruta Graveolens essential oils, or cotton balls soaked in vinegar and placed around the containers.

  • Wow! I must be a meanie. I have 6 and just told them NO! Maybe they are grateful I rescued them? Mine do go in and out at will and I bring them all in before dark.

  • Jude v Jude v on Oct 20, 2018

    I use crushed egg shells , very fine crush lay top of soil .hot pepper . Will not hurt the cat .

  • LPHS89=48 LPHS89=48 on Oct 21, 2018

    Put citrus peels or moth balls in the containers.